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Religious Environmentalism: Thomas Berry, the Bishnoi, and Satish Kumar
Author(s) -
Chapple Christopher Key
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
dialog
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.114
H-Index - 5
eISSN - 1540-6385
pISSN - 0012-2033
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6385.2011.00634.x
Subject(s) - environmentalism , narrative , environmental ethics , sociology , religious studies , philosophy , political science , law , politics , linguistics
: This article explores two thinkers and one movement involved with religious environmentalism. Thomas Berry drew from the world's religious traditions and a depth study of science to develop what he refers to as “The New Story,” a narrative that encourages the cultivation of intimacy with nature, leading to an appropriate ethical response. The Bishnoi movement, which originated in fifteenth‐century India, sets forth a pre‐modern paradigm, still widely observed in northern India, for dealing with threats to local eco‐systems. Satish Kumar, a former monk and post‐Gandhian activist, invokes the ideas and practices of Jainism in developing an environmental action plan. These examples demonstrate the interdisciplinary and cross‐cultural aspects of religious environmentalism.